Her Reasons
by Fortune Maiden
Summary: Aqua reflects on her decision to betray Ratatosk.


My first attempt at writing a ficlet. It's not that good but I'll get better eventually. I like Aqua and I wish there were more stories about her in the fandom. (Or at least some more about Aster. He's much cooler than Emil!) I don't mind harsh critism but if you just say "This story sucks" I will hunt you down and unleash rabid Fenrirs on you. Well enjoy ^^

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Her Reasons

*pant pant*

Two shadowy figures made their way through the open field, the night sky as their cover.

"We should be safe here," the woman said panting. However the moonlight revealed that she was not a human at all but rather a blue monster with a human shape and a long blue tail for hair. "They shouldn't be able to reach us here."

"Good," the man behind her said. He was a tall human with long red hair and beady green eyes. He had a plain expression on his face but it was obvious to see he was hiding his exhaustion. The man sat down on a big enough rock breathing heavily and his back turned to his partner. The monster looked at him wearily.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned, "You were badly hurt in that battle." The man made a grunting sound which told the monster that she should drop the subject. Not that she noticed though. "I can't believe Lord Ratatosk would do something like that. It's so sick and wrong."

"Believe it Aqua," the man said coldly, "That bastard killed Aster for no reason. He got what he deserved." Aqua nodded slightly looking down at the ground. She sighed sadly recalling the dark events of the previous hour.

_"You're Ratatosk, Summon Spirit of the Great Kharlan Tree, correct?" a blond haired teen in a white coat had asked down in the Ginnungagop. He had come down there with the man with the help of Centurion Aqua, a servant of Ratatosk, to ask for his help to restore the world's mana levels. The Summon Spirit had reluctantly agreed though, angry and betrayed, he wanted to eradicate the world of humans and half- elves. When the teen tried to reason with Ratatosk he was attacked and killed._

From there, his partner proceeded to kill the spirit and managed to revert him to core form. Before that could be done away with too, another centurion appeared and ran off with the core, sending an army of monsters to deal with the traitors…

"Why would Lord Ratatosk do such a thing?" Aqua asked sitting down on a rock beside the man, "And why Aster of all people. All he wanted to do was help the world. He was so young and innocent. He didn't deserve this."

"Would you say that if it was me who dies instead?" the man asked, clearly irritated by the topic of conversation.

"Of course Richter," the centurion replied looking at the wound on his back. She had tried numerous healing artes on it but the persistent scar would not disappear. "You don't deserve such a sad fate either."

Richter simply stared out at the field. "So why are you still here?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" Aqua asked surprised.

"Why did you suddenly decide to help me? You betrayed your master to—"

"He is not my master anymore!" Aqua snapped spitefully, "I have severed all ties with that monster. I refuse to serve someone who would kill a child in cold blood. Especially someone like Aster."

"Aster," Richter muttered softly. Aqua stopped talking and sighed sadly.

"So what'll you do from here?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"I'm going to find Tenebrae and finish off Ratatosk's core," Richter answered standing up, "If you get in my way I won't hesitate to kill you either."

"Who's stopping you? I with you all the way," the centurion replied floating in front of him, a determined look in her eye, "This whole mess is my fault. I have to avenge Aster's death too."

The two stared at each other for a while. Richter was startled by her willingness to kill her own master and how she blamed the whole ordeal on herself. This couldn't be a result of witnessing one murder. There was a hidden meaning to Aqua's ambition.

"Aqua," Richter began, breaking the silence, "Why did you betray Ratatosk?"

"I told you, I can't follow someone who kills an innocent child in cold blood," she answered though now that he could see her eyes, it was clear there was another reason.

"There's more isn't there?" the redhead remarked, "Or why wouldn't the other centurions agree with you."

"Well spiteful Tenebonehead would never think to betray Ratatosk. He'd follow his every whim without question," she explained bitterly, "And the others are nothing but cowards. They fear Ratatosk too much to betray him."

"Go on," Richter urged though he had a feeling he knew the reason behind Aqua's betrayal.

"What else is there really?" she asked, "I brought you down there so it's my fault Aster's gone. If only I had refused."

"I speak from experience," Richter remarked dryly, "You simply cannot say "No!" to that kid."

"I guess," Aqua muttered, "But I still have to take responsibility for my actions. I have to help Master Richter kill Ratatosk. Some things in life just can't be forgiven. I cannot forgive the one who placed such a heavy burden on me." She didn't mean to sound selfish, and from her eyes Richter could see that she didn't mean the burden of Aster's death. For that, it was partially his fault too. Aster never learned to fight so it was Richter's responsibility to protect him. He should have at least tried to block that attack. No one would really have cared if there was one less half-elf in the world anyway.

Richter looked over at Aqua who had sat down on the ground with her knees brought up to her chest. She wore a depressed look and was near tears at that point. "Quit moping around. It won't do you any good," Richter told her sternly, "It not your fault okay? I should've taken the attack and I didn't."

"What good would that have done you?" Aqua whispered, tears streaming down her blue cheeks, "If you died, Aster would have been miserable. I have never seen someone show as much respect as Aster shows you. He really looks up to you. Think of what he would go through if you had dies in front of his eyes. It's too unbearable." She buried her face into her knees so Richter wouldn't see her crying.

It was then that Richter understood Aqua's reason for turning on Ratatosk and siding with him, the reason she blamed herself for everything, and the burden on her.

"You loved him didn't you?" Richter asked surprised. Aqua didn't answer. She didn't have too. It was all written in her sad blue eyes.

"When I refused to take you down to the Ginnungagop, you two set up camp near my domain," she explained with a soft sigh, "I followed you, curious to know what you would do next, and then I heard it." A small smile appeared on her face, "Aster didn't want to try and convince me again because he didn't want to trouble me. He said that it's not fair to me to have to help even if you were going to fix the world. I have never seen such selflessness before. That's when I knew."

Aqua's face suddenly grew serious. "I will not stand by Ratatosk any longer. I have seen his atrocities over the years and all I did was stand by and watch. The lives he killed didn't affect me so I didn't care. But the people he killed had family and those who loved them. Think of how much they were suffering because of Ratatosk. I know that even though you're standing tall with that cold look, but inside your just as upset as me." She paused thoughtfully, "No, even more than me. Aster was your friend. It hard to lose someone you care about."

Richter looked at her wide eyed. So that was the truth behind her betrayal. Even though she only knew Aster for a few days, he changed her completely. Richter knew then and there that he would have to stop Ratatosk once and for all. For Aster. For Ratatosk's other victims. And most importantly, for those around them.


End file.
